Fish oil cost: compare EPA and DHA, not just oil weight
Learn a consistent way to calculate USD per gram of declared EPA plus DHA without confusing the amount with total fish oil.
A fish oil amount and an EPA plus DHA amount answer different label questions. NIH ODS identifies EPA, DHA and ALA as distinct omega-3 fatty acids. If your price comparison is specifically about EPA and DHA, keep the denominator limited to their explicitly declared amounts.
Identify the exact rows
Find the EPA and DHA declarations and confirm that both use the same serving basis. Add them once. Do not add total fish oil or a total omega-3 line on top: those totals may already include the components. If only a combined EPA + DHA amount is declared, use that combined line without adding component rows again.
If neither individual nor combined EPA and DHA amounts are disclosed, their cost per gram is unknown. A total oil mass cannot supply the missing composition. ALA also should not be silently substituted for EPA or DHA in this comparison.
A worked example
Imagine a $25 container with 50 servings. Each serving declares 360 mg EPA and 240 mg DHA. Together that is 600 mg, or 0.6 g per serving. Across the container, 50 × 0.6 = 30 g of declared EPA + DHA. The price is about $0.83 per gram of that combination and $0.50 per label serving.
These invented numbers demonstrate the formula; they are not a current price, a product endorsement or a recommended intake. When using the calculator manually, label the input “EPA + DHA” and enter 600 mg, not the total oil weight.
What this number leaves out
The calculation does not compare oxidation, testing, freshness, formulation or suitability. It also does not say that two products with the same combined amount have the same EPA-to-DHA ratio. Preserve the separate EPA and DHA values beside any combined-cost result if that distinction matters to the comparison.
Read fish oil reference labels · Check the serving basis
Source and editorial scope
NIH ODS: omega-3 fatty acids ↗ · Consulted September 26, 2026. Examples and cost arithmetic are illustrative calculations by Form & Fact. Source attribution does not imply endorsement. No clinical review or product testing is claimed.
These guides explain labels and comparison arithmetic. They do not recommend an intake or establish a product's safety, efficacy or quality. Sources and methodology.